The present invention relates to a medal game machine and, in particular, to a medal game machine in which medals are used to shoot at targets.
A known generic type of game machine is a medal game machine in which medals are used.
An example of such a medal game machine is one which makes it possible to play a pusher game in which medals jostle on a game field and medals fall.
In such a medal game machine, the configuration is such that medals that are made to move along rails provided on a slope are sent into the game field.
However, simply sending in medals by using rails raises problems in that there is no directionality to the medals so the game relies on pure luck, nothing happens but medals enter the game field, and the game is not very interesting, which all detract from the playability of the game.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a medal game machine that makes it possible for a medal to move forward with good directionality, thus increasing the playability of an aiming game.
In order to achieve the above objective, a medal game machine in accordance with the present invention relates to a medal game machine that uses medals fired from a shooting device to shoot at a target,
(1) wherein the shooting device comprises a shooting section which loads a medal in a vertical orientation and a shooting means which shoots a medal that has been loaded into the shooting section,
wherein the shooting section is provided with positioning means which positions a medal that has been loaded into the shooting section, when the medal is being shot by the shooting means, and
wherein the medal is shot past the positioning means.
This aspect of the present invention makes it possible to position a medal by the positioning means, when a medal that has been loaded in a vertical orientation into the shooting section is to be shot by the shooting means provided in the shooting device, so that the medal can be shot past that positioning means and can be made to move forward with directionality, like a bullet, which makes it possible to aim at targets and thus make it possible to enjoy aiming at targets within the medal game and also increase the playability of the game.
The positioning of the medal by the positioning means also comprises control such that the medal loaded into the shooting section is not spurred out passing the shooting section.
In addition, making it possible to aim medals in this manner ensures that it becomes possible to enjoy aiming at targets with various different medal game machines.
(2) Another medal game machine in accordance with the present invention relates to a medal game machine that uses medals fired from a shooting device to shoot at a target,
wherein the shooting device comprises a shooting section which loads a medal in a vertical orientation and a push-out means which pushes out and shoots a medal that has been loaded into the shooting section,
wherein the shooting section is provided with pressing means which presses against an upper portion or a lower portion of a medal that has been loaded into the shooting section, when the medal is being pushed out by the push-out means, and
wherein the medal is shot past the pressing means.
When a medal that has been loaded into the shooting section is being pushed out by the push-out means provided in the shooting device, this aspect of the present invention makes it possible to impart a sufficiently large rotational force to the medal that is being shot past the pressing means by pressing with the pressing means against the upper portion or lower portion of the medal loaded in the shooting section in a state in which it absorbs the pushing force of the push-out means, so that the medal can be made to move forward with directionality, like a bullet, which makes it possible to aim at targets and thus make it possible to enjoy aiming at targets within the medal game and also increase the playability of the game.
In addition, making it possible to aim medals in this manner ensures that it becomes possible to enjoy aiming at targets with various different medal game machines.
(3) In such a case, the pressing means may be provided at an upper part of the shooting section, and
a sliding-prevention means for preventing the medal from sliding may be provided at a lower part of the shooting section.
This configuration makes it possible to impart a rotational drive to the medal, by preventing sliding of the lower portion of the medal by the sliding-prevention means provided at a lower part of the shooting section and by shooting the medal past the pressing means provided at an upper part thereof, thus increasing the straight running characteristic thereof.
(4) Alternatively, the pressing means may be provided at a lower part of the shooting section, and
a sliding means for allowing the medal to slide may be provided at an upper part of the shooting section.
This configuration makes it possible impart a rotational drive to the medal, by allowing the upper portion of the medal to slip by the sliding means provided at an upper part of the shooting section while shooting the medal past the pressing means provided at a lower part thereof, thus increasing the straight running characteristic thereof.
(5) In addition, the pressing means may be a pressing roller that is energized in a medal-pressing direction by a spring.
This configuration makes it possible to further increase the rotational force and straight running characteristic of a medal that has gone over the pressing roller and been pushed forward by the spring that energizes the pressing roller.
(6) Further, an attachment position of the spring may be adjustable so as to adjust the pressing force of the pressing roller.
This makes it possible to adjust the speed at which the medal is shot out by adjusting the pressing force of the pressing roller.
(7) In the present invention, the shooting section may be provided with a small-diameter medal ejection means that ejects a small-diameter medal, which is smaller than an-outer diameter of an authorized medal, to an exterior from the shooting section before the small-diameter medal is shot, when a supplied medal is the small-diameter medal.
This configuration makes it possible to reliably avoid the use of medals- that are of a smaller diameter than authorized medals, by ejecting such small-diameter medals to the exterior by the small-diameter medal ejection means provided in the shooting section, thus reliably preventing the deliberate use of small-diameter medals.
(8) In such a case, the small-diameter medal ejection means may include a small-diameter medal ejection hole formed in one side surface of the shooting section and an ejection member provided on another side surface at a position corresponding to the small-diameter medal ejection hole, for pushing a side surface of a small-diameter medal towards the small-diameter medal ejection hole.
This makes it possible to reliably eject small-diameter medals to the exterior, by pushing small-diameter medals out by the ejection member to the ejection hole, and also enables a simple structure and a reduction in cost.
(9) Furthermore in such a case, the small-diameter medal ejection means may have an aperture height adjustment means which adjusts an aperture height of the small-diameter medal ejection hole.
This makes it possible to set the size of small-diameter medals that are to be ejected in accordance with the size of authorized medals, in a simple and reliable manner, by adjusting the aperture height of the small-diameter medal ejection hole by the aperture height adjustment means.
(10) In the present invention, the shooting device may comprise a medal insertion section for loading medals into the shooting section, a large-diameter medal rejection means which rejects a large-diameter medal that is larger than an outer diameter of an authorized medal may be provided in the medal insertion section, and the large-diameter medal rejection means may adjust a size of a medal to be rejected according to a size of an authorized medal.
This configuration makes it possible to reliably reject any large-diameter medal that is larger than an authorized medal, by the large-diameter medal rejection means provided in the medal insertion section, so that deliberate use of large diameter medals can be prevented reliably. Moreover, it makes it possible to correspond with the size of authorized medals in a reliable manner by adjusting the large-diameter medal rejection means. This facilitates the use of various different medals of different sizes in various different stores in which medal game machines are installed.
(11) In accordance with the present invention, the medal game machine may further comprise:
a reflective plate disposed in an inclined state in front of the shooting device, for reflecting and displaying an image of a display on which is shown a target;
a medal running surface disposed below the reflective plate, enabling medals to pass under the reflective plate;
detection means disposed on the rear side of the reflective plate and above the medal running surface, and detecting the position through which a medal passes; and
a result determination section which determines whether or not the position through which the medal passes matches the position of the target.
This configuration makes it possible to determine whether or not the medal hits the target by using the result determination means to determine a state in which the position at which a medal passes is at a position of a target, by shooting a medal that is aimed at a target displayed on the reflective plate, having the medal pass under the reflective plate while running on the medal running surface, then ensuring that the position at which it passes is detected by the detection means, thus creating a game that is interesting as a target game.
(12) In the present invention, the reflective plate may be a half-mirror so that a running state of a medal after passing the half-mirror is visible.
With this configuration, the running state of each medal after it has passed the half-mirror can be seen, making it possible to impart an realistic image of a medal striking a target in a virtual space, thus increasing the playability of the game.